t durst not venture abroad, but were forced to
be content with what fell just into their mouths.

Sec. 18. In this condition they were, when the first ship of the two before
mentioned came to their assistance, but their golden dreams overcame all
difficulties; they spoke not, nor thought of anything but gold, and that
was all the lading that most of them were willing to take care for;
accordingly they put into this ship all the yellow dirt they had
gathered, and what skins and furs they had trucked for, and filling her
up with cedar, sent her away.

After she was gone, the other ship arrived, which they stowed likewise
with this supposed gold dust, designing never to be poor again; filling
her up with cedar and clap-board.

Those two ships being thus dispatched, they made several discoveries in
James river and up Chesapeake bay, by the undertaking and management of
Captain John Smith; and the year 1608 was the first year in which they
gathered Indian corn of their own planting.

While these discoveries were making by Captain Smith, matters run again
into confusion in Jamestown, and several uneasy people, taking
advantage of his absence, attempted to desert the settlement, and run
away with the small vessel that was left to attend upon it; for Captain
Smith was the only man among them that could manage the discoveries with
success, and he was the only man, too, that could keep the settlement in
order. Thus the English continued to give themselves as much perplexity
by their own distraction as the Indians did by their watchfulness and
resentments.

Sec. 19. Anno 1609, John Laydon and Anna Burrows were married together,
the first Christian marriage in that part of the world; and the year
following the plantation was increased to near five hundred men.

This year Jamestown sent out people, and made two other settlements; one
at Nansemond in James river, above thirty miles below Jamestown, and the
other at Powhatan, six miles below the falls of James river, (which last
was bought of Powhatan for a certain quantity of copper,) each
settlement consisting of about a hundred and twenty men. Some small time
after another was made at Kiquotan by the mouth of James river.

CHAPTER III.

SHEWING WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE ALTERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT FROM AN
ELECTIVE PRESIDENT TO A COMMISSIONATED GOVERNOR, UNTIL THE
DISSOLUTION OF THE COMPANY.

Sec. 20. In the meanwhile the treasurer, council and company of Virgin